The rantings of a teacher who retired from the classroom but not from education.

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Fear Or Complacency

There were not enough chairs in the room and some of the ones that were in the room lacked comfort and did not work well with the tables there.

The area was dirty. Everyone bitched about how their clothes got all grimy just from sitting at the table.

One of the phones did not work.

The computers in another area were out for over a week.

No one said anything. Some told me they were afraid to say anything. Afraid of what, I don't know, but afraid they were. Most were just complacent. They have come to accept these conditions. They feel these are conditions they deserve, the best they will get.

All it took was a few e-mails from someone not afraid or complacent. The phone got fixed. The computers were getting fixed. New chairs are being delivered. The room will be cleaned. Sometimes I think teachers get what they deserve.

5 comments:

veteran teacher
said...

Thanks for the reminder to keep on trying to make it better. Sometimes it's about picking battles; I'm working so hard to teach my kids in a dilapidated building that getting a new printer carteridge for the teacher's lounge is just another battle. But you're right PO'd if I don't request a new one I've accepted those substandard conditions.

I wonder how much of the complacency is born out of fear, though; the squeaky wheel may get the grease, but it's just as likely to be replaced. I'm not saying that makes complacency right, but I do understand how it happens...

Fear is a major factor in my building. I don't understand it. Even when I was young and but tenured, I spoke out. I see people near retirement age quivering in their boots when it comes to saying even the simplest things.

They are also overwhelmed. Administrators walk around but only to look for errant teachers, not to troubleshoot building problems or how to make teaching and learning conditions better. Teachers shouldn't have to be begging for basics. Yes, the fear is palpable but so is the underlying ageism involved.